May 9, 2021- Travon Free, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television writer, actor and comedian, turned a terrifying encounter with the police into an Oscar-winning film that highlights the ongoing tragedy of police violence against Black people. Free, who wrote the film, Two Distant Strangers, and co-directed it with Martin Desmond Roe, said police raided his home with guns drawn early in the morning and … Continue reading Turning a Police Encounter Into an Oscar-winning Film

May 2, 2021—The Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA), the African Artists Foundation, Carter Fine Arts Services and ArtJoose have joined forces to offer a conversational introduction and online preview of the “Voices of the Coast,” a transcontinental exhibition that will bring together artists and cultural commentators from the African Diaspora—the United States, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa. The virtual event will be held May 22 at … Continue reading “Voices of the Coast” Unites Artists of the African Diaspora

April 25, 2021—Hundreds of people gathered over two days last week to participate in a virtual conference focusing a spotlight on the actions we all need to take to ensure Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access within the New Jersey arts community. I was honored to serve as the Steering Committee Chairperson and emcee for this thought-provoking and moving event, and I am excited to share … Continue reading “Creating Change” Conference Focuses on EDI&A for New Jersey Arts Community

April 18, 2021—I am delighted to share with the readers of Arts & Culture Connections the launch of a new division of my company, which is focusing on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (EDI&A) for the arts. I believe this is absolutely the time for arts administrators, marketers, funders and thought leaders to stand up with conviction and become examples of the necessity for EDI&A … Continue reading The New Division of My Company: EDI&A

April 11, 2021—I am a long-time admirer of Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. He is a staunch advocate for tackling injustice and inequality, and he is utilizing his authority, position, and the foundation’s $14-billion endowment to help shift the philanthropic community’s focus to address these critical issues.667 Mr. Walker’s efforts and work, along with some aspects of his personal history, were showcased last … Continue reading Focusing Philanthropy on Injustice and Inequality

April 4, 2021—I firmly believe programs that provide youth with opportunities for creative development and expression are more critical than ever. These programs contribute to youth being able to successfully interact, work with and dialogue with others. This makes the arts, as education reformer John Dewey once described, the cornerstone of democracy and civic engagement. As I outline in my forthcoming book, Champions for the … Continue reading Teaching Artists Issue Call to Action

March 28, 2021—I recently had the phenomenal opportunity to see an intimate, virtual interview with one of our nation’s greatest artistic treasures—the playwright, actress, author, NYU professor and scholar Anna Deveare Smith, which was sponsored by the Signature Theatre’s Artistic Director’s Circle and conducted by Artistic Director Paige Evans. Credited with creating a new form of theater in which she combines the journalistic techniques of … Continue reading The Resonance of Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992: An Interview with Anna Deveare Smith

March 21, 2021—This past week, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Standing in Solidarity Series presented a brilliant program titled “She Did That: Black Women in the Workplace.” The event, which was co-sponsored by Women@NJPAC in celebration of Women’s History Month, was based on the PSEG True Diversity Film Series presentation of the inspiring documentary She Did Thatby Renae Bluitt, and it also featured an … Continue reading Standing in Solidarity with Black Women in the Workplace

March 14, 2021—Like many other cultural institutions around the country, the August Wilson African-American Cultural Center (AWAACC) had to put its 2020 exhibition plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I was delighted to learn that the delay has resulted in the expansion of the center’s vision for an extraordinary exhibition honoring the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, which will now open in fall 2021. … Continue reading Major August Wilson Exhibition Planned

March 7, 2021—When it comes to planning for community engagement or audience development, having access to research and data are critical to making smart, relevant decisions. I firmly believe the arts administration field is quite fortunate to have the work of Zannie Giraud Voss, Ph.D. and her team at SMU DataArts, which offers insightful and analytic research focused on helping arts organizations identify the programmatic … Continue reading The Alchemy of Success: Research Study Offers Key